Strong Defense Propels VC Past Cuesta

The Pirates' women's basketball team used a stingy defense and timely offense in the fourth quarter to pull away from visiting Cuesta 54-44 Wednesday night at the Athletic Event Center. Sam McKenzie posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds and Alexa Coubal led the way with 17 points, including an 11-12 night at the free throw line, along with eight boards. Daphné LeBrun scored seven points with three assists in the win for Ventura (16-8, 7-1).

Offense was at a premium in the opening period as McKenzie scored four of Ventura's first six points for a 6-2 Pirate edge with 6:05 remaining in the quarter. It was another three-plus minutes before Coubal's two free throws made it 8-2 with 2:50 on the clock. The Cougars outscored VC 9-2 for the remainder of the stanza to hold an 11-10 edge after one quarter of play.

Both teams struggled to score points in the second quarter as well. Coubal scored off a LeBrun pass with 2:46 left in the half to tie the score at 21. This bucket would be the final score of the second quarter and the teams went to halftime knotted up.

Coubal and McKenzie each made one of two free throws to start the second half, but two Cuesta three's sandwiched around a basket by Tiernan Phillips put the Cougars ahead 27-25 at the 7:23 mark of the period. Cuesta stretched the lead with a free throw before LeBrun canned a long-range bomb midway through the period to tie the score at 28. Alexis Howery and Dani Henley also hit from range before the end of the quarter to put Ventura ahead 34-30 headed to the final stanza.

Mykah Johnson started off the final quarter with an inside bank shot, and Coubal extended the VC lead to 39-31 with a jumper with 7:37 remaining. The Cougars pulled back to within six, 43-37, with a triple at the 4:17 mark, but a McKenzie lay-up, a jumper by Howery and a three by Leslie Salazar put Ventura back ahead 50-37 with 2:45 on the clock. Cuesta pulled back to within eight, 52-44, with 1:09 left, but free throws by LeBrun and McKenzie set the final margin.

Howery finished with five points, five rebounds and a pair of assists and Salazar grabbed seven boards. Elena Ferrara had four rebounds and two steals while Phillips and McKenzie also added a pair of thefts each. 

Ventura next hosts Moorpark on Saturday Feb. 10. Game time is set for 7:00 pm.